The sorcerer in the woods
by Lotus Sword
Summary: Legends tell about a wicked sorcerer who fled to the impervious Misty Woods a couple of centuries ago. Since a few years, mysterious things happened around the forest and the people are getting scared. Is 'he' really alive? This is the tale of a couple of youngsters who will unravel the secrets that lay hidden behind the mist and the trees. AU
1. Prologue

**Me: What is wrong with me?**

**Kirino: _Another_ story? Geez, don't you have enough already?**

**Me: Aparently not... Ehm, I don't own Inazuma Eleven, minna-san. This story was suddenly born during my holliday in Greece (strangely enough, it has nothing to do with the climate, the scenery or practically anything that I saw or did there). It keeps on bugging my mind, so I decided to type it down for you. I hope you like it.**

**Shindou: By the way, I guess this _could be_ considered friendship RanTaku... remotely.**

**Me: Yeah, probably. That's how it started, but I don't know if it will actually turn out that way...**

* * *

"But I don't want to eat the carrots!"

"You have to, they will make you strong and healthy. You are a big boy, right? Big boys always eat their carrots."

"But I don't like them!"

"Do you know many people would like to switch places with you? They would love to eat these carrots."

"Then they can have them. Carrots are yuck!"

"Now listen to me, young man. If you don't eat your carrots like a good boy, Kiriyoshi will come after you."

A tiny gasp was heard before the boy shoveled the carrots in his mouth. The mother allowed herself a small smile when she saw his stuffed cheeks and his fast-moving jaws as he chewed. His fear of the evil sorcerer Kiriyoshi was greater than his dislike of carrots.

* * *

In the whole country, there weren't many who had never heard of Kiriyoshi's name. One of Inazuma's most famous legends centered around him and the story was often told by troubadours an storytellers. They told the tale of what happened five, maybe even six centuries ago and each person gave his own twist to the story. The original legend came down to this:

A couple of centuries ago - no one knew exactly how many years passed since Kiriyoshi's time - there was a teenage boy. Despite his young age, the boy was a marvelous healer and he cured many people around him. There wasn't a broken bone he couldn't fix and not a disease he couldn't cure. And when it was impossible to cure someone, even for him, the boy made sure that the poor fellow painlessly left this world for the next.

The name of this marvelous boy was Kiriyoshi.

Kiriyoshi wasn't just any boy, he was a powerful sorcerer. He used his powers to heal the injured and cure the sick and he was loved by everyone around him for the good deeds that he had done. Everyone in Inazuma, the country where this story takes place, knew about Kiriyoshi's abilities and praised him for it.

But what no one knew, was that Kiriyoshi had a dark side. Deep in his heart, he was evil. He got bored from helping people day after day, week after week, year after year. To cure his own boredom, Kiriyoshi placed a curse upon the monarch of that time. The king was a good leader who was kind, just and considerate when it came to his subjects. He was a good man and didn't deserve to die the way he did.

It was said that the king grew terribly ill by Kiriyoshi's hand. His skin was as cold as ice, although he kept screaming about his body being on fire. Strange, unexplainable bruises and painful blisters covered his skin and none of the usual herbal creams helped. The king kept yelling about birds that picked out his eyes and demons that wanted to eat his soul, but nobody else saw these creatures.

Of course, the people asked Kiriyoshi to save their beloved king, but the boy refused. After the king died and everyone found out that the mysterious disease had been Kiriyoshi's doing, they were furious. The sorcerer fled before any harm could fall upon him and he hid himself in the Misty Woods, a forest that laid on the east side of Inazuma. After that, nobody had seen him ever again.

The stories differed from each other from that point. Some said that Kiriyoshi had grown up and gained more power by the day, determined to make the lives of Inazuma's inhabitants as hellish as possible. Plagues, poor harvests or robberies, all were believed to be Kiriyoshi's doing. The king's successor sent some men into the woods to kill the sorcerer, but all came back with the message that they couldn't find the boy, if they even came back at all. Even today, the Misty Woods were great, dark and nearly impossible to cross without getting lost. And if you got lost, the chances of ever getting out were very slim.

Others said that Kiriyoshi didn't grow old, but had used his powers to keep himself young. That would mean that he was still a teenage boy at the age of fourteen, who was probably waiting for his chance to bestow harm upon others.

Even though everything surrounding Kiriyoshi was legendary, people avoided the Misty Woods like the plague. After all, it wasn't impossible that Kiriyoshi had indeed survived all those years while he hid behind the dark trees. 'Better safe than sorry', was what the people kept in mind whenever someone brought up the matter of Kiriyoshi or the Misty Woods.

Despite the people's fear for the evil sorcerer's power and the dark woods, villages and towns appeared near the trees. Raimon was one of these villages, although 'hamlet' would be a better word for it. After all, Raimon didn't count more than twenty buildings.

It started out with a blacksmith. Since no one dared to travel through the forest, everyone had to go around it and slowly, some settlements arose from the ground. It happened more than once during your travel, that your horse lost one of its horseshoes or that some part of the saddle broke. The two buildings next to the lone road - one being the blacksmith's workshop and the other one his house - were a relief to many travelers. Then came a small inn, followed by a tannery and a few farms. Slowly but surely, the group of settlements expanded until it was big enough to be called a village and gain the name 'Raimon'. As of today, Raimon was still a small hamlet that was only shown on the most detailed maps.

Raimon was the village that laid closest to the much dreaded Misty Woods; the distance between the closest house and the farthest tree was only threehundred metres. Kiriyoshi's legends didn't only serve the purpose of entertainment here. Mothers whispered the name to discipline their children, workers scared each other when they had to walk home from the tavern after a long day of work and teenagers sometimes dared each other to enter the forest as a test of courage.

But whatever people said about Kiriyoshi, the peremptory belief was gone. Even though the mention of Kiriyoshi was often accompanied by a wary glance in the direction of the Misty Woods, the people did not fully believe the legends anymore. Sure, they kept telling them because there might be a grain of truth in them, but the total conviction was gone.

Until that one night, three years ago, when someone saw floating lights appear and disappear in the mist between the trees.

* * *

**Me: There you have it, the prologue of 'The Sorcerer in the Woods'. I hope you all liked it a little. Would you care to review?**


	2. Chapter 1

**Me: Haha. Hahahah. HAHAHHHAHAHAHAHA- *laughes hysterically***

**Shindou: What is wrong? Why are you laughing like that? It's creepy.**

**Me: Oh, gomenasai, Shindou-kun, hahaha. It's just that, pffffhihi, this story was just some random scene from my mind that I wanted to get out and I already got ten reviews. TEN REVIEWS, FOR JUST THE PROLOGUE! :D BWAHAHAHAHAA!**

**Kirino: But... that's not even all that funny...**

**Me: Eh? It isn't?**

**IE-cast: *shakes heads***

**Me: ... *awkwardly clears throat* Inazuma Eleven © Level 5. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

"A-are you sure about this?" Tenma stuttered as he glanced at the dark trees that were about twenty metres away from them. Thick wisps of fog floated between the wooden stems, making it impossible to see the ground. The Misty Woods looked, in one word, terrifying. He shivered and turned back to his navy haired friend.

Tsurugi gritted his teeth. "Of course, there is no way I'm letting Kariya talk to me like that." But even he didn't move. Shindou suppressed a sigh and looked back at the mysterious forest, just like his friends. _If Kariya hadn't mocked Tsurugi like that, I wouldn't be here now,_ he concluded sourly.

Kariya Masaki was the son of a local hunter that lives about a kilometre away from Raimon and he was a year younger than Shindou. The boy often helped his father with placing and emptying the snares and sometimes they were gone for over a week to hunt somewhere far away. Kariya was also very good with his slingshot; Shindou knew no one else who could kill a rabbit from a thirty-metre distance with said weapon. He had all the qualities of a hunter: he was fast, agile, quiet and patient.

"Can't we just forget about it and play soccer for a while?" Shindou suggested, although he already knew the answer. When it came to his pride, Tsurugi Kyousuke never backed down. Tsurugi was the blacksmith's son and apprentice, even though one wouldn't think him to be. Blacksmiths are usually tall, tanned and heavily muscled men whose skin is constantly covered in a mixture of soot and sweat. While Tsurugi was indeed rather tall, he was also incredibly pale and his arm muscles weren't that spectacular. That didn't mean that he wasn't strong, though: Shindou had seen him move loads of metal like it was nothing. Sure, Shindou himself was quite strong too, but Tsurugi's strength was from a whole different calibre.

"I won't let him look down on me," the tallest boy in the group replied.

Earlier today, Kariya had entered the blacksmith's workshop to pick up his father's order of one dozen arrowheads. The hunter and his son were no strangers there, even though they mostly shoot with sharpened sticks without a metal point. But they had gone after a deer recently and for big preys like that they used metal arrowheads. Kariya's father liked to keep a little stockpile of the deadly pieces of metal, so as soon as they returned with their catch, he ordered new ones at the local blacksmith.

Kariya had been sent today to pick them up and at that time, Tsurugi was the only one in the workshop as his father was outside to nail a new horseshoe on the hoof of an old carthorse. The order was already prepared and the young hunter only needed to hand over the amount of coins that had been agreed upon. But as he was doing so, Tsurugi noticed a dark-red spot on the other's cheek, like someone had slapped him. He smirked and made a comment about it, something along the lines of a secret girlfriend who had broken up with him. Kariya stuttered a little and went bright red before he composed himself.

"What are you talking about?" the teal-haired boy had asked in a semi-vainglorious tone. "I'm sure a lot of girls would want me, but who needs them? I can hunt, I can cook, I can take care of myself... I'm afraid that I have to disappoint them if they are after this boy."

"Sure," had been Tsurugi's reply as the navyblue-haired boy rolled his eyes. "Then what about that sore spot on your cheek?"

"Oh that," Kariya shrugged indifferently and brushed over his cheek as if he only realized it when Tsurugi pointed it out. "That's my battle scar, and I have to say I'm quite proud of this one."

"Oh sure. How did it happen? Did a bunny slap you in the face with its ears?" Tsurugi teased and laughed hoarsely, which soon turned into a coughing fit as his body tried to free itself from the soot particles that he had inhaled during his work.

The hunter hadn't moved a muscle back then, or so Shindou was told. When the other calmed down, Kariya calmly took one of the iron arrowheads out of the bag and played with it between his fingers. "Very funny," he said, focussing on the glimmering of it in the little light in the workshop, "but no. Actually, I got this from entering the forest." He looked up and pierced his eyes in Tsurugi's. "Kiriyoshi's forest."

Tsurugi's smile had quickly disappeared after that and he looked nervously out of the window in the direction of the Misty Woods, before he cast his gaze back on Kariya. A joke was funny from time to time, but talking about Kiriyoshi while the sorcerer lived so close to them didn't seem like a great idea. Who knew what magic that person used to keep an eye on them? Maybe he was looking right now! He cast another anxious glance at the dark trees in the distance.

Kariya shrugged and acted like it was no big deal. "Yeah, otou-san and I had set out some snares in the outskirts of the Misty Woods and he wanted me to empty them. So he ties this rope around me so I won't get lost and then I'm off." He suppressed a smirk when he saw how intrigued Tsurugi was by his story. "I already emptied two and set them back up, and then I headed to the third one. This is where it gets ugly. So I get at the spot where we placed the snare, but it was much different from the other two. There was no mist."

Tsurugi blinked. "No mist?"

"Not a single wisp of fog. I could see the ground clearly, and what I saw..." He shuddered to build up the tension.

"What did you see?" Tsurugi's face was a mixture of curiosity and anxiety.

"The whole ground was covered in strange patterns. Circles, holes, curly lines, you name it. The snare was in the middle and there was a rabbit caught in it. To be honest, it looked like some kind of ritual or something."

"And what did you do then?"

Kariya shrugged again. "I walked towards it and emptied the snare, of course. That rabbit was our catch, after all."

"You took a rabbit that Kiriyoshi wanted to use for his sorcery?" Tsurugi exclaimed incredulously. He wasn't sure whether he should praise Kariya for such bravery or hit him on the head for so much stupidity.

Said boy nodded with a serious expression on his face. "Or at least, I tried. I walked towards it and then suddenly, big plants grew from he ground at break-neck speed and they grabbed my legs. I was stuck, nowhere to run. Those plants were tough vines, you know? Unbreakable."

"And then?" Tsurugi asked breathlessly, which was quite unusual for the usually quiet and composed boy.

Kariya pointed at the low ceiling of the workshop. "The branches of the trees began to grow too, they probably wanted to tie my arms. But I didn't let it get that far. I grabbed my knife and sliced the vines in one sway." He took out said knife and moved it back and forth near his feet as if he was cutting invisible plants. "Then I jumped backwards, but those plants followed me. It was crazy how fast they grew, you know. Anyways, they tried to grab me again and again but I cut them down and managed to get away from them. Maybe during that fight one of them hit me in the face, but I didn't even notice."

Tsurugi sighed a little once he realized that his companion's story was over. "It seems like you had a lot of luck this time."

Kariya frowned and huffed indignantly. "What luck? This was all thanks to my quick reflexes, my cool head and my accuraty with knifes. Luck had nothing to do with it."

"Sure, sure," Tsurugi said, turning around to look for the bellows. During their conversation, the forge had died down a little and his father wouldn't appreciate it if it extinguished completely when he came inside. "As I see it, you had an awful lot of luck. Or a guardian angel or something. Just take it from me that you should stay far away from the Misty Woods, Kariya. It's dangerous there, you shouldn't deal with strange forces like Kiriyoshi."

"Of course you say that," Kariya sneered at Tsurugi's back and he put the arrowhead back in the pouch as he walked to the doorway. "I guess I should expect nothing less from a coward who avoids the forest like the plague. But unlike you, I'm brave enough to get near those trees." Then he was gone, leaving Tsurugi's rigid silhouette facing the orange flames in the forge.

* * *

Shindou swallowed once more, but the lump in his throat didn't disappear. If Kariya just hadn't made that last comment, everything would have been fine. But now that Tsurugi's pride was aggrieved, the boy wouldn't stop at anything to restore the damage. Even if that meant dragging his three friends with him on a crazy trip into the Misty Woods.

What neither Shindou nor Tsurugi knew - and Kariya planned to keep it that way - is that the real story behind the sore was a lot less heroical. The young hunter indeed entered the Misty Woods with a rope tied around his waist and he emptied two snares, but that's where the similarities stopped. As Kariya had been on his way to the third snare, the fog around him thickened and he couldn't see the nearly invisible markings that led to the final trap. The inability to see more than half a metre in front of him and the feeling of being lost in a soundless world made Kariya nervous, to say the least. He jumped up every time he heard something and looked frantically around in search of whatever caused the noise. After a while he concluded that he was, indeed, lost. Not that he couldn't get out, of course, that was why he had that rope, but there was no way he could find the third snare in this mist. So he decided to give it up and head back to his house (walking slightly faster and noisier than usual because the forest creeped him out) and said a small prayer of thanks to whatever god or goddess was listening up there.

Not knowing that the slap wasn't from some devilish plants but from an angry hunter who didn't like it that his son skipped one snare despite the boy's valid argument, Tsurugi wanted nothing but to prove that he was just as courageous as Kariya, if not more courageous. As soon as his father had called it a day, Tsurugi went to his friends and asked - more like, ordered - them to join him on his mission.

And here they were. But not for long, if it was up to Shindou.

"Alright, I've got enough of this. This is ridiculous." He turned around and Shinsuke and Tenma eagerly followed him, glad with the opportunity to get away from the woods.

"Come on," Tsurugi called out from behind. "He called us cowards, you're not letting him talk to you like that, are you?"

"No, he called _you_ a coward," Shindou pointed out. "And you're the only one who is bothered by it. If you want to venture yourself between those trees for the rest of the afternoon, be my guest, but I'm going to play soccer." He took a few steps and fervently hoped that Tsurugi would see the absurdity of his own plan, that he realized that humans shouldn't go against such unknown forces. But as Shindou glanced over his shoulder, he got the shock of his life:

Tsurugi was gone.

That idiot had actually entered Kiriyoshi's territory!


	3. Chapter 2

**Me: Can't I just do a disclaimer at this chapter and state that it applies for all the following chapters? Great, then that's the plan!**

**Disclaimer: Att-chan doesn't own Inazuma Eleven and she probably never will. As said before, this disclaimer will apply to all the following chapters.**

**Enjoy~!**

* * *

"Captain..." Shinsuke said as he stared at the spot where their friend was a few seconds ago. He'd noticed it too. Cursing under his breath, Shindou walked a few steps back and peered at the fog between the trees, but there was no sign of Tsurugi's navy-blue strands.

"Wh-where is he?" Tenma asked as his eyes frantically darted between the trees, hoping to see his friend. Shindou sighed deeply. The four of them had been best friends for a long time and they faced every big event, good or bad, together. Shindou was actually one year older than Tsurugi, Tenma and Shinsuke, but he prefered the three boys' company over that of his peers in Raimon. Not that he didn't like the other children, but he somehow felt a connection with these three, and that connection existed for a long time already. All children in Raimon were friends and after a long day of work, they often played soccer together just outside the village. But within this large group of friends, smaller groups were unconsciously formed.

Tsurugi, Tenma, Shinsuke and Shindou formed one of those groups, and because Shindou was one year older than the rest, Tenma and Shinsuke used to call him 'captain' as a joke. In time, that title became more serious and Shindou knew that their respect for him lingered in it.

At the moment, being the oldest was a burden. Both Shinsuke and Tenma waited for his answer: would they follow Tsurugi or would they go back? Both seemed unthinkable and Shindou got torn by the dilemma. But deep inside, he knew that it wasn't a choise. Not really.

"Let's go," he said, trying not to show his own fear. "He can't be that far, can he?"

He put his right foot in front of the other, paused for a moment to gather all his courage and then continued walking. The clouds of mist swirled around his feet. Were they pulling his legs to trap him or was that just his imagination? He heard that Tenma and Shinsuke were following close behind him, both audibly shivering from fear.

_As soon as we get out if here, I'll give Tsurugi a piece of my mind,_ Shindou thought with gritted teeth. His eyes frantically darted around, trying to spot any dangers. _If we ever get out._ He shook his head to clear the thought away and without turning around, he said: "As soon as you can't see me anymore, call my name and grab my arm, okay? We can't afford to lose each other in here."

"Well spoken, Shindou-san," an all to familiar voice said. It caused all three youngsters to gasp in shock. They all pivoted on the spot, only to find Tsurugi leaning with his back against a rather thick tree. Shindou's annoyance grew when he realized what was going on: Tsurugi had only walked a couple of metres before he hid and waited for them!

"Tsurugi..."

"You sure took your time. Come on, let's go." Tsurugi pushed himself off and walked past Shindou, who grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Let's go back, you mean. That's enough, Tsurugi, it's dangerous in here."

"Nothing happened, yet," the pale boy defended, but he, too, constantly scanned their surroundings.

"That doesn't mean that nothing will happen."

"Kariya traveled much deeper into the forest and he came out unharmed."

"He was almost stuck in a ritual, remember? Plus, he had a rope so that he wouldn't get lost." Tsurugi was hesitating, so Shindou pressed on. "Honestly, Tsurugi, why are you so focussed on going further? We all know that you're brave, but this is just foolish."

"I don't know what it is," Tsurugi admitted after a few seconds. "At first it was just to prove Kariya wrong, but now... aren't you guys curious what's up ahead?"

Tsurugi was a great friend, but sometimes Shindou just wanted to hit the other boy on the head with the blacksmith's hammer.

"I'll tell you what's up ahead: trouble. Just think for a moment, Tsurugi. What if we go further and Kiriyoshi gets angry with us? Then we're done for! We should turn around while we still can!"

Not to far away from them, a branch was snapped in two. The sound was loud in the silence that the mist provided and all four heads snapped up. Tsurugi drew the sword he always carried with him and stepped between his friends and the source of the sound.

When he was seven years old, a knight had passed through Raimon and asked Tsurugi's father for a new sword. That was the first time Tsurugi had seen a real knight in full-fledged armor, and ever since that moment he wanted to become a knight. The knight was fond of children and had asked the young Tsurugi to bring him the sword whenever it was ready. By the time the adult left Raimon again, Tsurugi had only one dream left: to become a knight. He knew it was nearly impossible, because he was supposed to fulfill the same occupation as his father, but nonetheless he kept his dream. When he was eleven, he made his own sword. It took him three full days to get the balance, length and width right, but then the sword was perfect for him. Every moment that he didn't spend in his father's workshop or with his friends, he spent practicing with the weapon. His father didn't mind, as long as Tsurugi didn't forget his other chores.

Of course, Tsurugi's skill couldn't rival that of a knight, but he was still pretty handy with the sword. This thought reassured Shindou a bit as he stared over Tsurugi's shoulder, trying to distinguish someone in the thick mist. Three full minutes passed and no one moved a muscle.

"Do you think it went away?" Tenma asked softly and obviously nervous.

The reply was another loud crack, seemingly closer than before. Shindou debated with himself what was safer: to stay here quietly or to make a run for it. A flight of birds suddenly flew up from a tree and after their noises died down, the Shindou's hair went to stand on end. Because even after the birds were gone, it wasn't silent. A strange sound, something like two sticks that repeatedly collided with each other, echoed through the mist. Speaking of the mist, it seemed to get even thicker and swirled around them as if it tried to trap them. The milky clouds produced a sibilant sound, as if there were snakes inside.

The rhythm sped up and Shindou had the unpleasant hunch that, as soon as it reached its climax, something bad would happen. His limbs trembled with fear, yet he was paralyzed and couldn't move. The next sound they all heard, was a laugh. The sound seemed to come from everywhere, making it hard to determine where the person stood. The laugh sounded youthful, so it couldn't be an adult, but it didn't sound cheerful. It was like this person knew he or she could take them. Like this person was challenging them to try and fight him, because he had something up his sleeve. Shindou could only think of one person.

Kiriyoshi.

The others seemed to have reached the same conclusion. They all started running at the same moment, as if it were scripted. Driven by their fear for the mysterious danger, they ran faster and faster than they'd ever done. But were they running in the right direction? Every direction was alike and even though they hadn't gone very far into the forest, the exit was nowhere to be found.

Despite everything, Shindou tried to keep an eye on the others. He dreaded the thought that one of them might wander away from the group and get lost. Not that they weren't lost as a group, but at least they still had each other. As he looked at both the trees that suddenly appeared on his path and at his juniors, he still managed to process that the rhythm got even quicker and... did it get closer too?

Then the youths suddenly saw a spot in the misty wall where the fog was thinner. Shindou unconsciously stayed at the rear to keep an eye on his companions. Tenma ran at the front, guiding the others to the exit. At least, that's what he hoped. There seemed to be more distance between the trees and the trees itself seemed to be smaller, indicating that it was the edge of the forest. But Tenma couldn't be relieved yet: they weren't safe yet. They changed direction and headed for the safety, driven by the scary sounds such as the dark laughter, the strange drumming and, suddenly, a loud, agonizing, pained scream.

They didn't turn around or look back, they just kept running and running until they finally entered the open field. They recognised it right away, it was the field of one of the farmer's who lived in Raimon. Sangoku Taichi lived with his parents in a nearby farm, along with Shinsuke and another boy called Kageyama Hikaru. Neither Shinsuke nor Hikaru was part of Sangoku's family, but they slept in the hayloft and ate with the family. In return, they had to help with the harvest and do other chores around the farm. Both boys originally came from outside Raimon and traveled together, looking for work. A few years ago, Sangoku's father hired them and they lived in Raimon ever since. They got along well with the farmer's son, but always stayed respectful as he was two years older than them. Sangoku himself appreciated the respect, but didn't think of himself as higher ranked than the other boys.

Right now, both Sangoku and Hikaru were busy plowing the field. The harvest had been brought in a few days ago and they needed to prepare the soil. It was hard work, seeing as they didn't have a horse to pull the plow, but the boys didn't complain. Shinsuke often helped out with these kind of chores, but he was too small to be of any help with plowing, so he had gotten some extra leisure time today.

Sangoku and Hikaru stopped with what they were doing and looked curiously at the youths who jumped over the low wooden fence. Sangoku frowned and walked towards them, Hikaru followed. "What are you doing here?" he asked, feeling both worried and annoyed that the other kids entered his family's field. Well, technically speaking it didn't belong to them, because they leased it from a tenant, but he ignored that small detail.

"G-gomenasai, Sangoku-san," Tenma panted with his hands on his knees. He glanced over his shoulder in the direction of the Misty woods, now about hundred fifty metres away. It was still too close for his liking, but at least they were safe now. Wisps of mist drifted around the trees. It was like they tried to get out of the forest, but something held them back. From this distance, they seemed like hungry tongues that wanted to devour the boys who had just come out.

Sangoku followed the younger boy's look, added up one and one and paled. "Did you enter the Misty Woods?" he exclaimed loudly.

"We're fine," Tsurugi replied. He was also panting heavily, but he was quickly recovering for he had a lot of stamina.

Sangoku shook his head incredulously. "Still, you know you shouldn't do such foolish things. What if..." He lowered his voice and shot a wary glance at the forest. "What if _he _had caught you?"

The youngsters lowered their gazes, ashamed to meet the older boy's eyes. "Gomenasai, Sangoku-san," Shinsuke said. "We won't do it again."

"You better not," Sangoku said as he straightened his back. His expression softened a little and he extended his hand to help them up. Hikaru did the same and when everybody was on their feet again, Sangoku gave them a last stern glance. "I'm still quite disappointed in the three of you."

And that last warning caused the newcomers to stiffen. Not because they were scared that they would disappoint the other boy or anything, but because of Sangoku's choice of words: 'the three of you'... They quickly sought eye contact with each other, only to discover what they hadn't noticed before:

Shindou wasn't with them.

* * *

Shindou laid on his stomach with his face buried in the dirt. Tears streamed down his cheeks, creating trails in the dirt and soaking the ground. He sobbed quietly, tried to minimize the noise he made. Whatever was hidden in the mist hopefully wouldn't notice him. His right ankle throbbed painfully, even if he kept it perfectly still.

He had been so close! He had seen the forest's edge, about thirty metres away from him. Tsurugi, Tenma and Shinsuke had seen it too, and they were still together. They would have made it!

But because the entire ground was covered in mist, he hadn't seen where he placed his feet. His right foot came down on a rotten tree trunk. The tree hadn't been very big when it fell, so the stem wasn't visible in the mist. As Shindou stood on it, his foot got stuck in a hollow part and he lost balance because of his momentum. During his fall, an unbearable pain shot up through his leg, originating in his trapped ankle, and he wasn't able to bite back his own pained scream. The others hadn't noticed his fall and kept on running, probably driven by his scream of pain. A few seconds later, they were all swallowed by the mist.

Shindou assumed that they had reached the forest's exit and were safe. At least, as long as Kiriyoshi hadn't placed a curse on them for entering his forest. But regardless of that possible curse, he wasn't safe yet. He couldn't see the forest's edge from his position on the ground, but it couldn't be that far, right?

He had tried to stand up, but the pain in his ankle was too immense. Even crawling had proved to be too painful for him, so the only option left was to stop moving, be quiet and hope that whatever had chased them wouldn't notice him. He bit down hard on his lower lip to distract his mind from the pain in his ankle. He wished it wasn't broken, but he wasn't sure. If it was, then he was even more vulnerable than before.

The drumming and the laughter had faded shortly after Shindou fell down, but he couldn't shake off the feeling that he was being watched. Perhaps that was just caused by his paranoid fear of the Misty Woods and the evil sorcerer Kiriyoshi, but he couldn't say for sure. His intestines were constantly tensed from the adrenalin and tears kept escaping from his eyes, no matter how hard he tried to stop them. To say he was scared would be an understatement: he was utmost terrified.

How long was he laying here? Did his parents already know of his disappearance? Would they assign people to come here and look for him? He hoped so.

Gradually, his eyelids closed. It was strange that he was able to sleep right now: all alone, surrounded by unknown dangers, cold and in pain. But everything he had endured this late afternoon - Tsurugi's disappearance, the occult phenomenons, the chase and his injury - started to take their toll. He hadn't eaten anything since noon and he had woken up before sunrise, which was normal for him, seeing as he was the son of the baker. He was so drained of energy that his body shut itself down so he could recover a little.

He sank into such a deep sleep that he didn't even notice the figure that approached him shortly after his eyes closed permanently.

* * *

**Me: Okay, in the next chapter, Kiriyoshi will finally make an on-screen appearance!^^ I hope you look forward to it!**

**Review please?**


	4. Chapter 3

The light of the morning sun warmed his face. _This is odd,_ was the first thing Shindou thought. _I must've slept in. Why didn't my parents wake me up?_ Seeing as he was a baker's son, he always got out of bed before the sun rose. It had been a very, very long time since he had woken up with the sun in his face, so why...

A breeze stroke his cheeks, bringing him various scents of nature. That was another strange thing, considering he slept in a box bed and usually kept the doors shut to keep the cold out. Had his mother opened them for him? If so, why hadn't she woken him up?

He opened his eyes, but didn't see much because of the sunlight that blinded him. What he did see, though, was that the ceiling above him was not the ceiling he usually saw when he woke up. He was used to seeing thick, wooden beams and straw, not these... sticks and branches? Indeed, the roof above him was made of somewhat straight sticks of dark wood and covered with smaller sticks and branches. It looked more like a stock of firewood than a roof, if he was honest.

Where was this place?

He became more aware of his surroundings, particularly of a sped-up breathing a small distance away from him. He turned his head and squinted his eyes because of the light of the rising sun. Once he blinked a couple of times, he could make out a boy. Shindou had never seen him before, but he estimated that the boy was of his age. His pink hair was tied in two pig tails and his eyes were solely focussed on the ball at his feet. The boy's lips were parted in a gentle smile as he took in big gulps of air. According to the small, glistening beads of sweat, he had been playing for a while already. Shindou unconsciously smiled.

The boy was playing soccer.

He watched quietly as the pink-haired boy played and noted that the other was quite good at it. Moving from left to right and back and forth, the boy made sure to keep his ball in the air, using his entire body except for his hands. Then he dropped the ball to the ground and started to dribble with it. Shindou's smile widened as the boy let out a soft chuckle that was filled with a childlike happiness. Turning around a few times, the boy tossed the ball in the air with use of his instep. When the orb reached the right height, the boy swung his leg back and forth, kicking the ball away with much force.

Shindou silently gasped when the ball seemed to explode without a sound. Dirty rags and pieces of rope fell scattered on the ground. The boy sighed in defeat and kneeled down to gather every single piece of it. It was only then that Shindou realized that the ball with which this boy had been playing, was nothing more than a bundle of torn cloth. Due to the low quality of the ball, it fell apart when the boy kicked it. He didn't seem very downhearted, though. He merely picked up all the pieces and walked back to where Shindou was.

The brunette let his eyes travel over his surroundings once again, succeeding now that the sun had risen a little higher and was blocked by the odd roof. He wasn't at home, that was sure. For as far as he could see, he laid on a low stretcher that was made of sticks and woven plants. He was outside, on a small platform underneath a veranda in front of a wooden cabin. There was approximately fifty centimetres between the edge of the stretcher he laid on and the edge of the platform, which was surrounded by a fence that consisted of slightly dented sticks. The fence was interrupted at the middle of the platform, allowing people to get up without the trouble of a climb. Opposite of that opening was an open door, which led into the wooden cabin. Shindou couldn't see what was inside, for his feet laid near the door and his head laid at the opposite side of the veranda.

Right now, the pink-haired boy gently placed the rags down and turned to a crackling fire that Shindou hadn't noticed before. It was burning inside a stone circle, a few metres away from the cabin. The flames were small, but they started to live up as soon as the boy poked the remaining wood with a stick. It wasn't close enough to the forest to create a forest fire, but Shindou was surprised that anyone dared to live this close to those haunted trees. The azure-eyed boy grabbed a small and dented cauldron, filled it with water from an old bucket and hung it above the makeshift stove. Then he shifted his attention back to the rags and, after sitting down on the platform, tied them together to restore his third-rate ball. He faced the bonfire while he worked and consequently, he sat with his back turned towards Shindou, oblivious to the fact that the brunette was awake.

"You... You're really good at playing soccer," Shindou said after a few seconds of watching the other's back. He saw he'd startled the boy, for his shoulders tensed and he straightened his back. He still didn't turn around though and relaxed after two or three seconds, acting as if he hadn't heard Shindou at all. The latter frowned a little and tried again. "We could play together sometimes! I'm Shindou, Shindou Takuto."

No response.

"So... what's your name?"

The boy stood up and walked towards a bush near the edge of the forest, still ignoring him. Shindou furrowed his brows. Why didn't this boy respond? He wanted to turn his body to look around, but stopped when a stingy pain shot up through his right leg, originating from his ankle. When he looked at it, he found that it was rather swollen. He sat upright to take a better look at it, but was stopped halfway by a strong tug at his throat, which cut off his breathing for a moment. When he'd recovered from the shock, he carefully touched the assaulted area and found a leather collar and a thick rope that tied him to the bed he was laying on. He could move around without choking himself, but getting away or even getting up, was impossible.

As that last thought sank in, the events from before came racing back to his mind. Tsurugi's disappearance, the journey into the Misty Woods, the occult things that happened after they entered and the injury of his ankle... He casted another look at his swollen foot and fear slowly took over him. _You mean... it wasn't a dream?_ he thought and looked around. Now he noticed that the cabin wasn't just near the trees, it was _surrounded_ by them. They were still inside the Misty Woods! _T-then... that boy... is he really...?_

Speaking of the pink-haired boy, he had come back and took the cauldron out of the fire. When he reached the platform, he carefully poured some of the hot water in a small, wooden, bowl that looked like a cup without a handle. Shindou eyed every single movement closely, scared of whatever would happen next. If this person was indeed Kiriyoshi, and Shindou had good reasons to believe that, there was no telling what would happen to him. Kiriyoshi placed the cup down and picked up a few small berries that were as black as the night. He must've picked them from the bush a little earlier. He squeezed the fruits between his fingers and counted the drips of juice that fell into the cup.

Shindou's throat tightened with fear when the sorcerer casted a look on him, acknowledging his presence for the first time since he was awake. The calculating look in those azure eyes gave him the uncomfortable feeling that whatever Kiriyoshi was making, he made it for him. His suspicions got confirmed when the young sorcerer stood up and walked towards him with the cup in his hand. He extended it with a blank expression on his face, but Shindou didn't dare to take it. Was it a potion? A magical one? What would happen to him if he drank it? Would he die? Or would something even worse happen? He wondered what could be worse than death, but quickly shook the thoughts away. He was sure Kiriyoshi could find something.

"Take it."

The voice was stern and cold, the complete opposite of what he'd seen when he woke up. Was this person in front of him really the same boy that had played soccer so happily? Shindou was scared to take the cup from the boy, but he was scared to disobey as well. In the end, he slowly took it and noticed from the circles in the water that his hand was shaking slightly. He kept on shifting his gaze between the cup and the sorcerer, afraid that either would do something if he looked away for too long.

"Drink."

He had expected this order, but was still hesitant to follow it. He looked in the other's azure eyes, silently begging for mercy, but nothing changed. The other didn't move, he just kept strictly staring down at Shindou.

"Do you not understand what I'm saying?" he said as he raised an eyebrow. Shindou opened his mouth to speak, but learned that he suddenly forgot how to do that. Kiriyoshi bent down and said calmly: "Do you know, Shindou Takuto? I can get a lot less friendly than this."

Shindou immediately got the hint and it didn't exactly help to calm him down. He didn't think the other boy was very friendly to begin with, but then again, this was probably the friendliest an evil sorcerer could be. He gulped to get rid of the giant lump in his throat and closed his eyes tightly to escape from the sorcerer's piercing gaze. He brought the cup to his mouth, hesitated for one more moment, took a deep breath and poured some of the liquid into his mouth.

The drink had barely any flavour: it was just hot water with a little bit of juice. 'Nothing special', is what one would call it, but Shindou wasn't sure about that for he knew who made it. It was still a little too hot to be comfortable for drinking, but he didn't complain. With closed eyes and tensed muscles, he awaited anything that would happen to him. Was his body changing? Was he dying? Did he feel some sort of unimaginable pain?

Kiriyoshi let out a soft chuckle and Shindou felt how the other boy patted his head like a one would do to a dog that just performed a trick. He carefully opened one eye and then the other, checking if anything had changed about him. That didn't seem to be the case, luckily. He watched as Kiriyoshi wound a wet cloth around his swollen ankle. When the sorcerer was done, he glanced meaningfully at the cup in Shindou's hand and the brunette took another sip, still rather scared of the consequences of disobeying. The drink had cooled down a little and made him feel warm and fuzzy inside. It was a nice feeling, but he mentally reprimanded himself. He couldn't let his guard down in the presence of a dangerous sorcerer!

To distract his mind from the warm feeling, he decided to take a risk and try to get some answers from the other boy. "Ano..." he started unsurely, "why am I tied to the bed?"

He hadn't expected the pink-haired boy to answer, so he was rather surprised when the sorcerer replied. "To make sure you don't do stupid things when I'm not around." A soft snicker followed before he continued. "Not that you would get very far with that ankle, of course."

Shindou tried to swallow his uneasiness by taking another sip of the drink. "What are you going to do with me?"

"That's for me to know and for you to find out when the time comes." Kiriyoshi's tone was light, as if he was talking about the weather. Shindou's heart sped up and he tried to ignore it. He thought about his next question. He knew it wasn't smart to be too curious when it came to sorcery and magic, but he couldn't help it. He knew so little and he was almost desperate for answers, even if that meant asking a wicked sorcerer.

But he didn't get to ask his next question, for the hand that held the half-full cup suddenly lost its strength, causing both the cup and its contents to fall on the wooden planks. Shindou's heart skipped a beat and he glanced at the sorcerer to gauge his reaction. It didn't seem like Kiriyoshi was either bothered or surprised by it, but Shindou wasn't entirely sure for his vision started to blur slightly and the colours blended. 'I'm sorry,' was what he wanted to say, but he only produced some incoherent sounds. What was happening to him?

Kiriyoshi acted like nothing was wrong. He picked up the fallen cup, bent over Shindou's motionless form and closed the brunette's eyes with his fingers. Shindou tried to open them again, but his body wouldn't cooperate. His arms, legs and even his fingers were completely out of his control. He was scared and tried to figure out what was wrong with his body, but it was so hard to focus on his thoughts.

A voice came from far away, echoing through his messy thoughts. It sounded familiar, but strange at the same time. "It's nothing personal," the voice said. "I just can't have you hogging my bed again. My back wouldn't allow another night on these hard planks."

* * *

Kirino groaned from the effort as he walked through the mist between the trees. The few kilometres he had to walk to reach the forest's edge were usually no big deal to him, but it became a lot harder when he had to carry someone who was his own size. Kirino wasn't weak and Shindou wasn't fat or anything, but gosh, this was heavy!

He noticed that the vegetation got thinner, indicating that he had almost reached his end goal. He paused for five seconds to listen to the other boy's breathing and heartbeat. It seemed like no harm had come from the diluted extract of the berries. Those berries, fruits of the deadly nightshade, were extremely poisonous, even though they tasted a little like cherries. Three berries were enough to kill a full-grown adult.

Kirino didn't like to use them, but this had been his last option. He needed Shindou to be asleep when he executed his plan, or else the boy would ask questions. It had already been hard enough to act like a cold and evil wizard for the short time that the brunette was awake. But he had succeeded. One look at the other's fearful eyes and trembling figure had told him that Shindou was terrified of what he, 'the wicked sorcerer Kiriyoshi', would do to him.

He sighed and adjusted his hold on the boy at his back. His arms were wrapped around Shindou's legs and he was bending forward so that the other boy's upper body rested on him. He wasn't strong enough to carry him in any other way for such a long time.

Kirino wearily glanced around as he stood between the last trees. He didn't see anybody, but decided to take no risk. The clouds of mist that surrounded him expanded and piled out of the forest until he could come out without being seen. Even if the villagers noticed the extraordinary clouds of fog, they wouldn't dare to come close until it had disappeared. He carefully lowered his burden to the ground and groaned softly as he stretched his back. Sleeping on wooden planks and carrying teenagers around... His back sure had to endure a lot!

Then he kneeled beside the unconscious teenager and shifted the body until Shindou laid on his stomach. The brunette's clothes were still dirty from the hectic chase of yesterday and there were also dirty streaks on his face. Kirino adjusted his arms and legs - being extra careful with the injured ankle - so that it looked like Shindou had crawled out of the forest all by himself.

Kirino smiled softly to himself. Yes, that was how it would be. Shindou Takuto, the boy who had disappeared into the Misty Woods for one whole day and survived Kiriyoshi's dark magic. The people would be happy that he survived and they would tell him to be more careful next time. Shindou himself was probably too scared to set foot into the Misty Woods again, afraid of what 'Kiriyoshi' might do.

_"You're really good at soccer. We should play together sometimes."_ Kirino stood up and shook his head to clear Shindou's vivid voice away. He knew that soccer was played by more than one person and he really wanted to play with others, but... not as much as he wanted to be safe. "Pull yourself together," he mumbled to himself. "You can't always get what you want."

He wanted to walk away, but stopped when the boy on the ground made a sound. Kirino stared at him for a few seconds. Shindou wasn't awake yet, but Kirino didn't know how many signals the boy could already perceive from his surroundings. It was possible that Shindou had been able to hear everything Kirino said during the walk. He glanced back at the village and noticed that some people were gathering around the edge and staring at where he was. One flick of his wrist and the mist thickened, decreasing the chances of being spotted even further.

The people were approaching, he had to get away. His expression changed to a stern one when he casted a last look at Shindou. Summoning whatever he remembered of the stern person he had played this morning, he left the brunette with a final message.

"Don't come back. That's the best for both of us."

* * *

**Me: Sorry if the scene was confusing, everybody! It's just that I've replayed this part over and over in my mind and eventually, I took some details for granted. I hope that everyone could follow it and if not, tell me about it in the reviews and I'll change it!^^**

**Kirino: And that was the third chapter already, wasn't it?**

**Me: Yesh! *fist bump* I'm sorry for not uploading my other stories, by the way. I swear I won't abandon any of them, but I'm really really busy and I'm currently only writing the stories that I have inspiration for. That's why updates may be a little slow, but I WILL UPDATE THEM!**

**Bye~**

**Ps. If you're interested, the plant that Kirino used DOES EXIST and is indeed REALLY POISONOUS! Atropa Belladonna originally doesn't grow in Japan, but in this story, it does ^^ Please bear with me for that small detail!**


	5. Chapter 4

When Shindou opened his eyes, he saw the worried faces of his mother and father, who were bent over him. When they gained eye contact, his father heaved a relieved sigh and his mother burst into tears. Before Shindou could grasp the situation, he was pulled in a bone-crushing hug.

"We thought we lost you," she sobbed in his ear and he felt how his cheeks became wet from her tears. When she pulled back, she looked sternly at him, tears still running down her cheeks. "Don't ever do that again, you hear? It's much too dangerous in the Misty Woods!" And with that she pulled him back against her chest.

"You've been gone for an entire day," is father said once his mother had let go of him. "What happened in there?"

Shindou thought about what he should tell. If he said that Tenma, Shinsuke and he followed Tsurugi into the forest, those three might get into even more trouble. Throughout the years, they had always stood up for each other again and again and he didn't want them to be blamed. That's why he decided to tell from the moment those strange things occurred in the forest. "Well, we heard drumming and a laugh and all kinds of strange sounds," he started. "And then we started running, but I hurt my ankle and couldn't go on. After that..." he hesitated. Should he tell his parents about his meeting with Kiriyoshi? It wouldn't be good if rumors started spreading, neither for himself nor for his parents and their shop. On the other hand, they were his parents and he didn't like to lie to them. After casting one look on his mother's tear-stained face, he made a decision. "I don't know," he mumbled, unable to look his parents in the eye. "At some point I passed out and I woke up here."

His parents exhaled in sync, showing how relieved they were to hear that their son hadn't encountered the frightful sorcerer. It made Shindou feel even more guilty, but he kept his composure. It was better if they thought that nothing was wrong. And if Kiriyoshi indeed did something to him when he was unconscious, well... he just hoped that he could handle it.

* * *

His parents had treated his ankle - the cloth that Kiriyoshi had wrapped around it had vanished - and concluded that it wasn't broken. It was severely twisted and they didn't allow their son to leave the bed for one week, even though Shindou said he felt alright. His friends weren't allowed to see him, that was his parents' punishment. Shindou knew it was only a light punishment, considering how much he made them worry, but during his isolation, he wished that he could at least talk to someone for a while. Keeping his secret meeting a secret proved to be harder every minute and he wished he could tell someone, so that he wouldn't have to carry it all by himself.

After a week, his parents agreed to let him help out in the shop again, but only gave him light tasks to do. He saw his friends again - which immediately delayed his work since they kept on asking questions about what happened and apologizing for leaving him there. When he caught a disapproving glance from his father, Shindou hurriedly told the others that they could talk after the work of today was done. They played soccer together almost every day when they were done, and they could talk then.

His parents explicitly told Shindou to do the things at his own pace, for he shouldn't strain his injured ankle. But because he did everything much slower than usual, he had more time to think. He didn't exactly know why, but he had the feeling that there was something off about what happened in the enchanted forest. Something... something...

"-dou-kun? Shindou-kun!" With a jerk his thoughts came back to reality and he bowed apologetically towards the customer he was helping.

"Gomenasai, Kino-san, I spaced out."

Kino Aki, owner of the only inn in Raimon, smiled kindly at him. "I said I wanted to buy some flower. Here, you can put it in this," she said while handing him a leather pouch that was a little bigger than his hand. It was also possible to eat in Aki's restaurant, which is why she needed a lot of ingredients. Every other week, Shindou's father traveled with a pushcart to a bigger town that was a few hours away to buy some things at the market. Aki wasn't married and couldn't afford to close her inn for an entire day, so she gave Shindou's father some money to buy some things for her.

"It's quite unusual to see you get your orders yourself, Kino-san," Shindou smiled friendly as he scooped some flower into the pouch and tied it. He placed the full pouch on the left scale of a balance and filled the right scale with iron cones that were as big as his middle finger. The scales were even after he had placed the sixth cone on the right one and he closed his eyes for a second to think. Six cones equalled twenty-four copper coins.

"I sent Tenma this morning, but he forgot it," Aki smiled as she handed over the money. "He is such a scatter-brain. But more importantly, how are you doing, Shindou-kun?"

"I'm fine," Shindou replied, immediately feeling the lump in his throat return. That happened every time he thought of Kiriyoshi and the secret that he still hadn't told anyone. "My leg doesn't hurt as much as before, but I still can't walk properly."

"That's great to hear," Aki sighed as she took the pouch from him. "We were all so worried about you when you didn't come back. I'm relieved that you're fine."

The lump grew bigger. "Thank you," he brought out as the woman left the shop. He sighed and hobbled towards the broom. That was an easy task that would allow him to think a little. As he sweeped the broom over the floor, he replayed the encounter in his mind.

He had done that many times over the past week, but it still didn't make sense. He was certain that he heard Kiriyoshi speak to him when he was unconscious. "Don't come back, that's the best for both of us." That was what Kiriyoshi had said, there was no mistaking it. But why was it better for the sorcerer that he, Shindou, didn't go back into the forest? Was Kiriyoshi afraid that Shindou would interrupt a ritual if he went back? But the Misty Woods were so great, the chances that he would do that were nihil. But what else could it be?

Apart from that, his return was a little fishy as well. When he woke up in his own room last week, he couldn't be more relieved, just like the people around him. But after he had thought it through, it was a little strange. Every day since his return, he checked his body to see if he didn't grow a tail or cat ears or a beak or something strange like that, but nothing happened. He didn't feel sick either and apart from his ankle, he was perfectly fine. If Kiriyoshi had cursed him, why hadn't it taken effect yet? And if Kiriyoshi hadn't cursed him, then what had happened? Why would an evil sorcerer take Shindou in, treat his injured ankle and then let him get back without doing something... evil to him? It just didn't make sense!

Maybe he was rescued? Maybe someone found him and got him out of there before Kiriyoshi noticed. But who in their right mind would endanger himself by randomly strolling through the haunted woods? And how would such a person even find the cottage? Wouldn't Kiriyoshi have noticed if someone came into the woods? Besides, if someone had rescued him, that person would've stayed around and asked for a reward of some kind.

So the option of an anonymous hero was practically ruled out, and neither did he believe that he had crawled out of there by himself. He remembered being tied to the bed he had been laying on and until a few days ago, he could barely move his right foot. Getting loose and outrunning a mighty sorcerer had definitely been impossible in his state.

That left only one option, but that was almost too absurd to think about. Maybe... maybe Kiriyoshi had only treated his ankle and then brought him back? Shindou shook his head. Kiriyoshi was the sole embodiment of evil. All the stories said so. Besides, he could use magic. That were the most frightening people on earth: the ones with enough power to bestow evil upon the people around them. With a slight feeling of nausea, Shindou remembered a rather detailed description of what Kiriyoshi had done to the king hundreds of years ago. There was no way that such a cruel sorcerer would do something just for Shindou's sake.

Still, it seemed like the only possible explanation. Or was he still missing something? His head began to throb slightly. Then he was startled by a hand that suddenly pulled the broom out of his hands. He gave a puzzled look to the owner of the hand - who turned out to be his gently smiling mother. "I think this spot is clean now, Takuto," she laughed as she ruffled his hair in a motherly way. A slight blush covered Shindou's cheeks when he realized he had been sweeping the same place for the past ten minutes. "I think your father and I can handle it from here on, so go to your friends."

"Are you sure?" he asked as she took the broom from his hands. After she nodded, he went to the back and changed into some older clothes. It was a waste to dirty his neat clothes while playing, after all. He took his ball and went to the field just outside the village. It was a big field where people from Raimon stalled their cattle. During winter, the cattle stayed in the stables and the field was used by children to play. However, even in summer there was more than enough room for the youngsters to play their favourite game: soccer. Since everyone had to help their families, they often played on irregular times, but that didn't matter to them.

When he arrived at the field, he saw that no one was there yet. That wasn't so strange, for he was rather early. He sat down in the grass and enjoyed the afternoon sun for a while. But soon, his mind drifted back to Kiriyoshi. He cast a look at the dark trees and the white swirls of mist that drifted between them. Was Kiriyoshi there? Was he looking at Shindou? Keeping an eye on him? He suppressed a shiver and forced himself to think of nicer things. The scent of freshly baked bread, his parents, his friends, soccer...

It didn't work. No matter what he thought about, there was always one thing or another that led him back to the evil sorcerer. _Why is that?_ he thought. _Don't tell me... did he curse me after all? Does he need something from me and is that why he keeps haunting my thoughts?_ Shindou shook his head wildly. Now he was really getting paranoid. How would such a curse help Kiriyoshi? And furthermore, there was nothing that Shindou could give him. Nothing that the sorcerer couldn't acquire by himself, at least.

"Captain!" tho voices yelled in sync, startling Shindou from his thoughts. He turned around and saw Tenma, Shinsuke and Hikaru running towards him, Sangoku and Tsurugi following behind at a slower pace.

"Hello everybody," he smiled.

"Shindou, how are you doing now? Are you really going to play already?" Sangoku asked after casting a look at Shindou's bandaged ankle.

Shindou smiled in return and shook his head. "I don't think that's a wise thing to do, so I'm just here to watch. But I'm glad my parents finally let me out."

"You shouldn't complain, Shindou-san," Tsurugi said. "You were only grounded for one week, I have to wait another week before my parents allow me to go out again. Today's an exception, since they figured I wanted to make sure you're okay."

"So you used me as an excuse to buy your own freedom?" Shindou said indignantly, though the big smile on his face told everyone that he wasn't offended at all. Oh, how he had missed these familiar, friendly arguments and talks with his friends.

Graduately, more and more boys and girls entered the field as their parents dismissed them from their daily jobs. After listening to Shindou's story for a while, they took a ball - about five or six people had brought one with them - and started playing. Shindou sat back and watched them. Soon, however, his eyes drifted from his friends to the ominous forest that was only one hundred and fifty metres away.

* * *

Usually, as soon as one adult went to the field to call their children to the dinnertable, most of the other children called it a day as well. Besides, since Raimon was such a small village and most adults worked together, dinner was pretty much served at the same time at every house.

So as the youngsters started going back to their respective houses, Shindou called his three closest friends - Tenma, Shinsuke and Tsurugi - over. "Can you wait a little longer? I've got something really important to tell you."

Yes, he had made a decision when he watched his friends play. He knew he should keep it to himself, but he was afraid that he would explode if he didn't tell anyone. And what better choices than his friends?

"Well, you see, my father's not gonna be happy if I'm late for dinner... I'm still grounded, you know..." Tsurugi spoke hesitantly as he glanced at the backs of his retrieving peers.

"It's important," Shindou insisted.

For a second it seemed like Tsurugi was going to leave, but then he sighed and sat down opposite his senior. "It better be." Tenma and Shinsuke sat down at his sides and the three boys looked at Shindou in expectation.

"A-about, you know... what happened last week," the brunette started unsurely. "Wait, first you have to promise that you'll tell no one about this. And I mean absolutely no one, okay?" Tsurugi remained collected, while the other two eagerly nodded. It was still obvious to Shindou that they were all getting curious as to what he was going to say. He cleared his throat. "Well, as I was going to say. When I was in the Misty Woods... s-something happened..."

"Something?" Tenma inquired, tilting his head slightly.

Shindou nodded and avoided looking them in the eye. "Actually... I-I met someone in there."

* * *

**Me: I hope you enjoyed _le quatrième chapitre du Socier dans les bois, mon amis!_ (Holy crap, I haven't written or spoken French in years, but I believe that was actually understandable. If anyone's French, please tell me! :D) The original chapter became really, really long, so I split it in half. That means that the next chapter is almost done, so I'll probably post it in a few days. After that, I promise to work on my other stories (the ones that I haven't updated in a long, long time have the biggest priority, of course!).**

**Shindou: Don't forget to ask about the movie, Att-chan.**

**Me: That's right. Did. Anyone. Else. Watch. The latest Inazuma Eleven movie (Choujigen Dream Match) and fangirl during the entire match? If so, HIGH FIVE, SISTAH!**

**Kirino: *appears in a puff of smoke* Reviews are very much appreciated. *disappears again***

**Me: *looking like I got a heart attack* Why did I ever teach him that trick?!**


	6. Chapter 5

**Me: As promised, here is the fifth chapter!**

* * *

For three whole seconds, not a sound was heard. Then, all at the same time, they let out a loud exclamation of shock. "Captain..." Shinsuke breathed with eyes as big as saucers.

"By someone, y-you don't mean..."

"It can't be..." Tsurugi whispered.

Shindou nodded, his entire face devoid of a smile or any other indication that he might not have been serious. "You can't tell anyone about this, alright? Not even your parents!"

"We know, we know, but..." Tsurugi was at a loss for words, which was quite unusual for this composed boy. "What did he do to you?"

"That's what has been bothering me all this time, he didn't do anything. I mean, I woke up in a bed and then a boy started treating my foot and then he gave me a drink and then my body stopped listening to me and the next thing I know was that I woke up in my own room. I've been checking myself every day, but it seems like really nothing happened to me. It just... doesn't make any sense."

"What did he look like?" Shinsuke asked. "Was he old and grumpy?"

"No, he looked like he was about our age."

"So the stories are really true, then?" Tenma said in a dazed tone, referring to the myths that say that Kiriyoshi used his powers to keep himself young and alive.

"There is more," Shindou said. "I'm not entirely sure, but I believe I heard him speak to me while I was unconscious. He said that I shouldn't come back because that would be better for him and for me."

"I can't believe it," Tenma said after he let out a shaky breath. "I can't believe all that happened. So then, Kiriyoshi was also the one who made sure that you got out of the Misty Woods again?"

"I think so, but I'm not sure. It seems like the only possibility, doesn't it?"

"But we're talking about an evil wizard here," Tsurugi interfered. "Isn't it highly unlikely that Kiriyoshi would do such a thing?"

Shindou sighed. "I know, it's been bothering me as well. I'm sorry, maybe I shouldn't have told you guys this, but I had the feeling that I would burst if I didn't tell at least someone."

"We understand, Captain," Shinsuke said. "But what are we going to do now?"

"I'll tell you what we're going to do," Tsurugi said with his head turned towards the village. "We're going to race back home and make sure I'm not going to get grounded for life, how does that sound?"

"You're right, I bet Aki-nee is wondering where I am," Tenma added.

Shindou laughed softly and nodded. This is why he liked these guys so much. No matter how serious and threatening the situation was, they would always help him get through it. "C'mon, help me up," he said as he extended his arms. Sitting still had caused his ankle to become stiff and it was a little hard to get up by himself.

They bid goodbye to Shinsuke, who had to walk in a different direction. Tsurugi and Tenma matched their walking pace to Shindou's speed, but the latter could feel a strong aura of impatience from the both of them. Of course, they wanted to get home quickly and he was slowing them down since he couldn't walk as fast due to his painful ankle. "You guys can go," he said, shooing them away with a motion of his hand. "I don't want to be responsible for angering your parents."

"Alright. Good night then, Captain! Tsurugi!" Tenma shouted as he dashed towards his cousin's inn. No doubt he was going to have to do the dishes if he wanted to make up for being so late.

Tsurugi watched the other boy's back for a second before he turned towards Shindou an stated with slight awkwardness: "Well then, I should be going too. Good night, Shindou-san."

"Good night!"

He watched how Tsurugi's figure grew smaller as the distance between him and Shindou increased. Then he rounded a corner and disappeared from Shindou's view. He walked gently towards his own house, making sure not to put too many pressure on his injured foot, until he realized something:

His ball. He had brought it with him to the field, but now he didn't have it. He must have left it there. He looked at the orange sky to estimate the time. It seemed like there was more than enough time for him to walk back, get his ball and walk to his house (the adult who'd signalled that dinner was ready, must have come earlier than usual).

He quickly found his soccer ball after he entered the field. The orb was made of eight leather triangles that he'd stitched together and filled with dry grass and small strokes of old leather. It might not be a luxurious ball that one could buy on those gigantic markets in the capital, but it was fine for playing their games. The leather had gotten stiffer because the ball got kicked and thrown around so much.

Then he remembered the scene he saw when he had woken up in the Misty Woods a week ago. Kiriyoshi had been playing soccer back then, and from what Shindou had seen, the sorcerer was pretty good. His material were of a lower quality though. Shindou could still see how the bundle of cloth and rope had fallen apart after the boy kicked his improvised ball. This rose the umpteenth question about the sorcerer, though this was a trivial one: wouldn't a powerful man like Kiriyoshi be able to produce a decent ball? Even if he didn't use magic to do it, a ball like the one Shindou held in his hands was very easy to make.

He glanced up at the dark trees and slowly walked towards it. He tried to spot Kiriyoshi again, but he saw nothing. He stopped about twenty metres away from the trees. Clouds of fog drifted slowly between the dark wood of the trees, making it impossible to look further then an arm's length. Shindou didn't understand why he had come here again. It wasn't like some supernatural thing forced his body to go here, nor did it feel like he was 'called' here by something or someone. He was just his normal, curious self.

_Is Kiriyoshi looking at me right now? _he thought and scanned the trees again. The sun slowly sank behind them. The shadows that were cast on the ground by those trees slowly crawled towards him, as if they wanted to catch him and pull him into the darkness. Despite the warm light of the setting sun, the spaces between the trees seemed cold and dark. The total image was rather uninviting, but Shindou didn't turn away.

When he was walking towards the forest, an idea had crept into his mind. It was a crazy idea, he knew that, but he thought that it was reasonable too. After all, he wasn't sure about all the things Kiriyoshi had done to him, except for one thing: the sorcerer had treated his foot and probably brought him back to the village as well. If it had been anyone else - someone who wasn't involved with dark magic and evilness - Shindou would have thanked that person properly. Shouldn't he do the same with Kiriyoshi?

His mind tried to call him back on his decision. _He is evil! _it screetched. Another voice replied to that with an image of the first side that Shindou had seen of the sorcerer: the happy boy who enjoyed playing soccer. "There is something fishy about this," he murmured to himself.

* * *

Kirino sat on a sturdy branch and stared intensely down at the brunette beneath him while making sure that the other boy didn't notice him. _What is he doing here?_ he thought frantically. _He is supposed to be so scared that he won't come close anymore. _He made the mist that surrounded him a little thicker, just in case Shindou glanced up and saw him. His protective wall of water droplets obstructed his own view as well, but that didn't matter. He didn't need his eyes to know when someone entered the Misty Woods, anyway.

Shindou hadn't moved since he stopped a few metres away from the forest's border. _Maybe he'll go back without entering,_ Kirino wished silently. He had barely finished that thought, or he sensed that someone came into the forest. He closed his eyes and softly yet repeatedly bumped the back of his head against the tree trunk to show his annoyance. _What is it gonna take for him to stay away from here?_

He smoothly shifted to a kneeling position, grabbed the branch firmly and lowered his body until he was hanging on to the branch by his hands. He took one second to estimate how far Shindou was away from him and, consequently, how much noise he could make before he let go. He landed smoothly and bent his knees to keep his balance. The whole manoeuvre had taken him less than five seconds and he'd barely made a sound. He closed his eyes for a moment to focus on Shindou's exact location.

The other boy stood still between the dark trees, his hands clutching to the ball in front of his chest. Kirino was about to improvise another scenario to chase the boy out of the forest, when Shindou spoke up.

"Ehm, Kiriyoshi-san?" he called out. It wasn't particularly loud and Kirino was sure he wouldn't have heard it if it wasn't for the mist he had created. "I-I don't exactly know what you did to me last time, a-and I know you told me to stay away from here, but..."

So Shindou had heard what he said when they parted, hadn't he? Kirino wondered why the other boy had returned, despite the words of a so-called widely feared sorcerer. Had Kirino made a mistake with his approach of the boy when they previously met? He had long thought about what he would do when Shindou would wake up. When the brunette had turned out to be awake when Kirino played soccer, the pink-haired boy was sure his heart had stopped. Why did soccer have to be so much fun that he lost track of his surroundings as soon as he started playing? Thank god he knew how to improvise! He had assumed that Shindou was scared of him in the end, but maybe that was wrong.

Kirino soundlessly moved closer to the unsuspecting boy, who was still figuring out what to say next. It was obvious Shindou felt very uncomfortable, being surrounded by thick walls of mist that made it impossible to look further than his own nose. _Good,_ the pink-haired boy thought, feeling satisfied. If Shindou already felt uncomfortable, it might be easier to scare him away.

By now, Kirino had gotten so close that he could hear what Shindou said without making use of the mist. Up until now, the brunette had rambled something about how he hoped that he 'hadn't angered Kiriyoshi by entering despite the other's warning.' Kirino was about to open his mouth and exclaim in a loud and low voice that he was indeed angry and that he never wanted to see Shindou near the Misty Woods again, but Shindou's next words caught him off-guard.

"S-so, that's why I wanted to thank you anyways... You know, for treating my foot. So..."

Kirino was dumbfounded. Shindou was thanking him? Hadn't he been scary enough at their last encounter? Shindou was supposed to scream and run away at the mere mention of the name Kiriyoshi, not to come back and thank that same sorcerer for treating his ankle! _This really is bad luck,_ Kirino mentally sighed. _The first person who I decide to help is a smart one._ Those were the most dangerous people for him. He could deceive the stupid ones, scare the brave ones and flatter the rich ones, but the smart and observant people were tricky. Kirino would have to be really careful if he ever had to deal with Shindou again.

Speaking of Shindou, the brunette had turned around in the meantime and was heading back home. Kirino automatically guided him by making the mist slightly fainter at places where he was supposed to go. He did that with everyone who entered the forest and he was able to do it so subtly that the people he guided didn't notice what he was doing.

He didn't relax until he made sure that the other boy was out of the forest. Then he walked to the place where Shindou had stood, because he sensed something that was off. Once he saw what it was, his breath hitched in his throat.

In front of his feet, surrounded by snow-white fog, laid a brown, leather ball. It was the ball Shindou and his friends always played with, and Kirino had watched the villagers often enough to know that this ball had never broken down during a game. He hesitantly picked it up, as if it were a rare, fragile flower. He could see that it was made of leather triangles that were stitched together. If he played with this, he wouldn't have to stop every fifteen minutes to fix his ball.

He looked over his shoulder, but the mist obstructed his view. He cleared all the fog in front of him with an annoyed motion of his hand, just in time to see Shindou enter the village. The boy didn't look back, but even if he did, Kirino knew that he wouldn't see him. The Misty Woods laid west to Raimon, meaning that the setting sun would protect him from curious eyes. In the orange light, it looked like the field was on fire, but Kirino knew that wasn't the case.

He looked back at the ball in his hands. This was probably his only chance to play with a real ball instead of a bundle of cloth and rope. But could he really take it? Wouldn't it be safer to just ignore this offer? But no matter how hard he tried to convince himself to leave the ball here, he couldn't do it.

_I have to rely on myself,_ he thought. _It's unlikely that anyone will ever help me. If I can get something better than what I have now, I should take it without hesitation._ And with that, he permanently shut the cautious voice up. He started walking towards his cabin with the ball tucked underneath his arm, but stopped and turned around for the last time after a few steps.

"Thank you, Shindou Takuto," he whispered and for the first time since Shindou had come back to the field, Kirino smiled genuinely.

* * *

**Me: Soooo... a little more insight on Kirino's side of the story, eh? Haha, I hope you enjoyed it, minna-san. Please tell me what you think will happen next. And if you have any theories about Shindou, Kirino/Kiriyoshi or whatever, feel free to PM me or leave a review!**

**Mata ne!**


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